Forbidden love for a Barkley

Part Thirty Three:

"Jarrod's Plan, part 1"

After hesitating, Carmine reluctantly tossed the belt and rope over the edge of the cliff before asking himself: "What have I done?" and begging God to forgive him. Just then, Nick regained consciousness, discovered the motionless child to be the missing Mavis Chaney, and tied his bandana to her forehead to stop the bleeding of her head wound before making a move to possibly send her up to Jarrod and company only to stop when the bear approached him. The bear would snatch Mavis out of Nick's arms and take her up to everyone else where she would be gently placed at her father's feet while Nick was hoisted up by Jarrod and the guys. Once everyone was reunited and the whole ordeal over, Carmine declared the temporary truce to be over and that he would not be agreeing to anymore things the Barkleys had in store. This resulted in a back and forth between Carmine, Paulie, and Stefania with Paulie (having what appeared to be a change of heart) reminding Carmine of Jarrod mentioning a plan in regards to the murders of Santo and Emilio and Stefania telling her father how much she cares about and adores Nick. Naturally, Carmine would scoff at this and remind her that she had once expressed the same exact things for her ex Pasquale only for it to be a disaster. Meanwhile, Jarrod, Heath, and Victoria would see Stefania tending to Nick and the latter milking the attention. This gave Victoria a reminder of when she and Tom were first dating and upon seeing it, Paulie reminded Carmine that he and Andrea used to do the same thing when they were first together and freshly married plus with Stefania insisting that maybe, if everything works out, maybe it could be love at first sight for Nick and her. Another back and forth would ensue before Carmine would leave in a huff. Fast forward three weeks later, Nick, Carmine, and Mavis were on the mend; Mavis got to keep Nick's bandana while Nick and Carmine were giving their families a hard time due to not wanting to stay in bed. Now, while Stefania, dividing her time between Nick & her father, was helping Nick up to his room, there was a knock at the door and Jarrod was in the process of answering it. The questions that remain are as follows: Who was at the door? Will Jarrod finally reveal his plan? and most importantly, will Nick get back to his original quest on finding McMahon and his gang one by one? Stay tuned and find out!

Author's Note: I do NOT own The Big Valley or its characters. I ONLY own this fic and the characters of: Stefania Mangano, Carmine Mangano Sr, Carmine's friends, Paulie Mangano, Italia Mangano, Chet and the men Heath rounded up, Jess and Mavis Chaney, the Animal Team, Leonard Barkley, Seth & his gang, and the Mangano family. Also too, as you can very well see (yet again Lol), this is the first of another multi part chapter saga.

WARNING: There may be an intense and violent flashback sequence. If it makes you uncomfortable, I understand and...you get the idea by now when it comes to the "WARNING" label :D

(Flashback to part 32)

"Exactly and in the study where I do most of my thinking and reading, we can discuss the plan. How does that sound?" Jarrod suggested.

"I'd say-" Paulie was cut off.

"Question..." Carmine held his hand up, "How do we all know that there won't be a mob of people with torches and ropes waiting for us in your library?!"

"Papà, per favore. Non essere ridicolo. (Dad, please. Don't be ridiculous.)" Stefania shot a glare at her father.

"Stefania, con quelli come loro non si sa mai. (Stefania, you never know with their kind.)" Carmine fired back.

"Papà, non ti farà male dargli una possibilità. Jarrod ha detto che ha un piano per quanto riguarda zio Santo e nonno Emilio. Perché non gli dai una possibilità di spiegare? Io sono disposto a farlo e Nick. Nick è stato una manna dal cielo e mi sto davvero innamorando di lui. Davvero, davvero innamorandomi di lui. Puoi dire che lo adoro. (Dad, it won't hurt you to give them a chance. Jarrod said he has a plan in regards to uncle Santo and grandpa Emilio. Why don't you give him a chance to explain? I'm willing to do so and Nick. Nick has been a godsend and I'm really falling for him. Really really falling for him. You can say that I adore him.)" Stefania insisted.

"Stefania, conosci a malapena Nick Barkley. Come puoi adorare un uomo bianco?! Per non parlare di adorare qualcuno che conosci a malapena. Non ti ricordi cosa è successo l'ultima volta che hai adorato e ti sei innamorata di qualcuno che conoscevi a malapena?! (Stefania, you barely know Nick Barkley. How can you adore a white man?! Let alone adore someone you barely even know. Don't you remember what happened the last time you adored and fell for someone you barely knew?!)" Carmine shook his head.

"Ricordo cosa è successo con Pasquale, ma Nick è diverso. È dolce, gentile, bello, e qualcuno che vorresti al tuo fianco se mai ti trovassi nei guai. (I remember what happened with Pasquale, but Nick is different. He's sweet, gentle, handsome, and somebody you would want in your corner if there was ever a time you were in trouble.)" Stefania walked over to Nick, sat on her knees behind him, and held his head in her hands, "Non vedi che Nick e la sua famiglia non sono come tutte quelle altre persone orribili? Non vedi che mi importa di Nick in più di un modo? (Can't you see that Nick and his family are not like all of those other awful people? Can't you see that I care about Nick in more ways than one?)"

"Non credi di procedere un po' troppo in fretta con gente come lui?! (Don't you think you're moving a little quickly with the likes of him?!)" Carmine folded his arms.

"Ai tuoi occhi, forse lo sono, papà. Forse lo sono e se è così, cosa c'è di sbagliato in questo?! Posso entrare in sintonia con Nick in molti modi in cui non riuscivo a entrare in sintonia con Pasquale. (In your eyes, maybe I am, dad. Maybe I am and if so, what's wrong with that?! I can connect with Nick in many ways that I couldn't with Pasquale.)" Stefania stood her ground.

"Madre di Dio, Stefania. Hai detto esattamente la stessa cosa di Pasquale! Hai detto che era meraviglioso, bello, comprensivo e quello giusto per te tra tante cose, solo per poi essere delusa e con il cuore spezzato e giurare di rinunciare al romanticismo. Come puoi passare da questo all'essere affascinata da un uomo bianco dopo averlo incontrato a malapena?! (Mother of God, Stefania. You said the exact same thing about Pasquale! You said he was wonderful, handsome, understanding, and the one for you among a lot of things only to be disillusioned and broken hearted plus vowing to give up on romance. How can you go from that to being charmed by a white man after barely meeting him?!)" Carmine couldn't understand how Stefania went from giving up after getting her heart broken by Pasquale to admitting that she adored Nick and cared about him in more ways than one despite the fact that she barely knew him. Who could blame Carmine? A possible whirlwind romance would raise a red flag, because usually those kind end in disasters and naturally, Carmine didn't want that for his daughter. Not a repeat of Pasquale.

"Papà, se non sbaglio, non era così anche per te e la mamma quando vi siete innamorati? (Dad, if I'm not mistaken, wasn't it like this for you and mom when you two fell for each other?)" Stefania asked with a smile.

"Stefania Lucia Mangano, non osare contaminare l'amore che provo per tua madre e paragonarlo all'evidente desiderio che provi per Nick Barkley! Sai una cosa? Per quell'insulto, dovrei-(Stefania Lucia Mangano, don't you dare taint the love I have for your mother and compare it to the obvious lust you have for Nick Barkley! You know something? For that insult, I should-)" Carmine was cut off.

"Chiamalo come vuoi, papà. Tuttavia, ricordo che tu e mamma vi siete incontrati per caso ed è stato amore a prima vista. Nick e io ci siamo incontrati per caso. Abbiamo una relazione che cresce lentamente e se tutto va bene, potrebbe essere amore a prima vista anche per noi. (Call it what you want, dad. However, I do recall you and mom met each other by accident and it was love at first sight. Nick and I met each other by accident. We are in a slow growing relationship and if everything works out, it may be love at first sight for us, too.)" Stefania affectionately rubbed Nick's head with one hand and shoulder with the other.

"Look at Nick. Look at Nick!" Heath whispered to Jarrod.

"Well, that's just like Nick. Milking the attention of a lady and getting relaxed in the process." Jarrod chuckled before turning to Victoria, "Mother, get a load of this."

"Get a load of what?" Victoria asked.

"Nick. Stefania's tenderly rubbing his head and shoulder & o'l Nick is milking it." Jarrod smirked.

"Milking i-" Victoria paused before turning her attention to Nick, getting a smile on her face, and shaking her head, "Well, whaddya know. Haven't I been saying it all along?"

"What's that?" Jarrod asked.

"Nick takes after your father in more ways than one. This is one of those ways." Victoria nodded.

"How so?" Heath asked.

"When we first met which was by accident, your father and I fell for each other and connected immediately. Just like Nick and Stefania. Then, as our relationship was growing, we would go around the countryside and be in nature. While doing that, your father and I would sit under a tree to rest. I think Nick milking Stefania's attention explains the rest of it." Victoria had a sparkle in her eye and smiled a little more as she remembered those days with Tom.

"You know something, mother..." Heath looked at Nick then back at Victoria, "I believe it does."

"Carmine, Stefania ha ragione. Tu e Andrea vi siete innamorati molto velocemente dopo che entrambi avete sofferto relazioni fallite e, ancora oggi, siete entrambi follemente innamorati. Forse Nick è diverso da Pasquale. Forse non è male come pensavamo. L'unico modo per chiunque di saperlo è di lasciarli crescere nella loro relazione al ritmo a cui stanno già andando mentre parliamo. Inoltre, devi ammettere che è da molto tempo che Stefania non è felice con un uomo che non è imparentato con lei. (Carmine, Stefania has a point. You and Andrea did fall for each other very fast after you both suffered failed relationships and to this day, you both are still madly in love. Maybe Nick is different from Pasquale. Maybe he's not bad like we thought. The only way for anybody to know is to let them grow their relationship at the pace they already are as we speak. Plus, you have to admit that it has been a long time since Stefania has been happy around a man who isn't related to her.)" Paulie took Carmine aside.

"Paulie, perché ti stai ammorbidendo?! I Barkley ti hanno corrotto? (Paulie, why are you going soft?! Did the Barkleys bribe you?)" Carmine grabbed Paulie by his shirt.

"Calma, Carm. Nessuno mi ha corrotto e non sto diventando tenera. Sto solo giudicando da come Stefania e Nick interagiscono e da come lei lo difende. A proposito, mi è venuta in mente una cosa. (Take it easy, Carm. Nobody bribed me and I am not going soft. I'm merely judging by how Stefania and Nick interact and how she defends him. Speaking of which, I have come to think of something.)" Paulie held his hands up in a "calm down" motion.

"Oh, davvero, Paulie?! E di cosa si tratta, oso chiedere?! (Oh really, Paulie?! And what is it, dare I ask?!)" Carmine raised his eyebrows.

"Se Nick fosse cattivo, se-(If Nick was bad, if-)" Paulie was interrupted.

"Paulie, fratello mio, tu e io sappiamo che non c'è "se" quando si tratta di quelli come Nick Barkley che sono i cattivi. Voglio dire, non dimentichiamo cosa è successo a Stefania o Santo o Allegra o Serafina o nostro padre. (Paulie, my brother, you and I know there's no "if" when it comes to Nick Barkley's kind being the bad ones. I mean let's not forget what happened to Stefania or Santo or Allegra or Serafina or our father.)" Carmine couldn't believe what he was hearing from his own brother.

"Carmine, nessuno dimenticherà. Tuttavia, alla luce di tutto quello che è appena successo e parlando un po' con una certa Victoria Barkley e Jarrod che menzionava un piano, ho riflettuto un po'. In effetti, ci ho ripensato e ripensato e ripensato nella mia mente. (Carmine, nobody will forget. However, in light off all that just happened and doing some talking with one Victoria Barkley plus Jarrod mentioning a plan, I have done some thinking. In fact, I have gone over it and over it and over it in my mind.)" Paulie replied.

"Paulie, smettila di fare doppi discorsi e di fare sottigliezze. Che genere di cose assurde ti sono venute in mente con cui non sono d'accordo, come faccio sempre?! (Paulie, quit the double talk and splitting hairs. What kind of outrageous thing have you thought of that I am going to disagree with as I always do?!)" Carmine wanted Paulie to get to the point.

"Sto iniziando a pensare che potremmo aver tutti giudicato male Nick. Ora, prima che tu ti arrabbi, ascoltami. Per favore. (Sto iniziando a pensare che potremmo aver tutti giudicato male Nick. Ora, prima che tu ti arrabbi, ascoltami. Per favore.)" Paulie took a long pause, "Se Nick fosse stato davvero cattivo come tutti pensavamo, l'avrebbe abbandonata come la maggior parte degli uomini tende a fare. Tuttavia, finora le è rimasto accanto e credo che sia molto sincero. Non un bugiardo come Pasquale. (Se Nick fosse stato davvero cattivo come tutti pensavamo, l'avrebbe abbandonata come la maggior parte degli uomini tende a fare. Tuttavia, finora le è rimasto accanto e credo che sia molto sincero. Non un bugiardo come Pasquale.)"

Carmine didn't say anything and just stood there with a look of disbelief on his face.

"Carmine, so che hai difficoltà a credere a quello che sto dicendo, perché io ho difficoltà a dirlo, ma forse ce ne sono di decenti come Nick. Forse. Inoltre, guarda il modo in cui lui e Stefania interagiscono e pensa a come quando lei parla di lui, le viene questo grande sorriso sulla faccia. Tutto questo accadrebbe se lui fosse così cattivo? (Carmine, I know you're having a hard time believing what I am saying, because I am having a hard time saying it, but maybe there are decent ones of Nick's kind. Maybe. Plus, look at the way he and Stefania interact and think about how when she talks about him, she gets this big smile on her face. Would that all be happening if he was so bad?)" Paulie put his hands on his brother's shoulders, "E se posso aggiungere, guarda come appoggia la testa sul suo grembo, lo facevi con Andrea quando avevate la loro età. Inoltre, come Nick e Stefania, anche tu e Andrea vi siete incontrati per caso. Le hai salvato la vita e dopo, vi siete innamorati. Immediatamente, potrei aggiungere. (And if I may add, look at the way he is resting his head in her lap, you used to do that with Andrea when you two were their age. Also too, like Nick and Stefania, you and Andrea also met by accident. You saved her life and afterward, you two fell in love. Immediately, might I add.)"

"Paulie, quella era diversa. (Paulie, that was different.)" Carmine scoffed, "In realtà sono stato io a salvare Andrea dai suoi aggressori. (I actually saved Andrea from her attackers.)"

"Ecco, questo è stato un colpo basso, Carmine. (Now, that was a cheap shot, Carmine.)" Paulie shook his head.

"Papà, come osi?! (Dad, how dare you?!)" Stefania spoke up.

"Come oso?! No. Come osano tu e tutti gli altri?! (How dare I?! No. How dare you and everyone else?!)" Carmine shook his head, yet again before walking off.

"Papà, aspetta! (Dad, wait!)" Stefania called out.

"Ah, lascialo andare. Sai com'è, Stefania. (Ah, let him go. You know how he is, Stefania.)" Paulie told her.

Stefania didn't say anything, only nodding in agreement.

*Three weeks later*

Despite trying to tough it out in their own ways, Nick and Carmine had suffered some terrible bruising all over their bodies plus broken legs to add to it. Meawhile little Mavis suffered a head wound and a broken arm. All three were thankfully on the mend and Mavis got to keep Nick's bandana. However, being on the mend meant staying in bed and for Nick and Carmine, to say it was a challenge would be sugarcoating it. They were usually very active and being told to stay put in bed was pure torture for the two men, but their families knew that eventually, they'd adapt and get so used to the attention that they would want to prolong staying in bed.

The rest and recuperation was also giving Nick and Stefania time to recover from what all they went through plus spend more time together. In fact, Stefania was dividing up her time with Carmine and Nick each and every day much to her father's chagrin. Then again, she had siblings who could fill in for her, so it was all good unless, of course, one spoke with Carmine.

Today, Stefania was visiting with Nick and tending to him after letting Allegra take over with their father. She was in the Barkley's kitchen fixing a sandwich for Nick when the door opened.

"Hey, Stefania." Nick greeted.

"Nicolas Barkley! What are you doing?" Stefania sounded like a mother.

"Coming into my kitchen, of course." Nick smiled.

"Well, I know that, but are you trying to hurt yourself further and risk losing your leg?" Stefania raised an eyebrow.

"But I-" Nick was cut off.

"Nick, we told you no moving. So did, Dr. Merar, but you keep moving around." Stefania waved her finger.

"Stefania, I just wanted to be near you." Nick replied.

"You could be near me when I bring you this sandwich and plus too, I'm getting kind of hungry myself." Stefania told him.

"Well, why don't we sit down at the table and have a snack together?" Nick started to limp towards the table.

"Unh uh. Don't you dare move towards that table. I'll bring you lunch in bed." Stefania shook her head.

"Oh, but I don't mind eating in the kitchen and maybe going outside to-" Nick was cut off, again.

"You are not going to do ranch duties today, mister. You are going straight up to your room and I'll bring you your lunch." Stefania said before starting to gently push him out of the kitchen, "Now, get going."

"But, Stefania-" Nick was interrupted by Jarrod coming in.

"Nick, I think you best listen to this little lady and head on upstairs." Jarrod guided him out of the kitchen.

"Jarrod, I don't need you playing nursemaid!" Nick was clearly annoyed.

"I'm not playing nursemaid. I'm being Pappy." Jarrod had a smug look on his face.

"Ohhhhh!" Nick groaned out of annoyance, "Don't you have something to do?"

"Yes. Help you up those stairs." Jarrod laughed.

"Oh, be mature!" Nick replied.

"Nick, we're only doing it for your own good." Stefania added.

"I know, Stefania and I appreciate it very much." Nick smiled.

"How come you don't appreciate it from me?" Jarrod asked in a joking manner.

"Simple...you're too Jarrod about it." Nick gave him a look before slowly making his way upstairs only to struggle due to his broken leg and the pain.

"Jarrod, could you bring this?" Stefania handed Jarrod the sandwich she made for Nick before going over to Nick and helping him up the stairs, "That's it. Nice and easy, Nick."

"Oh, thank you, Stefania." Nick replied before calling downstairs, "Jarrod, don't eat my sandwich."

"Don't worry, Nick. I already ate." Jarrod replied.

Just as Nick and Stefania disappeared upstairs, there was a knock at the door. Jarrod set the sandwich down on a nearby table and went to the door.

(Now)

"Well, well, this is a pleasant surprise." Jarrod opened the front door and smiled.

"Ciao, Jarrod." the voice greeted.

"Come on in, Paulie." Jarrod stepped aside and looked around outside.

"You're not going to find him." Paulie walked into the Barkley household.

"That's very unfortunate. I thought Carmine would've considered, but seeing as he is on the mend like my brother, well, I completely understand." Jarrod nodded as he shut the door and walked over to him.

"Oh no. It isn't, because of his injuries that he didn't show up. It's, because he refuses to give you a chance in regards to the plan you mentioned. We all told him to stop being a baby and come with me to your home, but Carmine is too stubborn to listen to anybody. However, I'm here and willing to listen to your plan, but before I ask, how is your brother doing?" Paulie asked while looking around and getting a look of amazement at the main foyer.

"Oh, I'm sure Carmine will come around. In fact, he may change his mind once he hears of the plan. That being said, I'm surprised at you." Jarrod told him.

"Surprised?" Paulie asked.

"Yeah. Weeks ago, you were ready to practically crucify my brother Nick whereas now, you seem concerned about him." Jarrod replied.

"Well, like I told Carm, after speaking with signora Barkley and considering that we each almost faced a tragedy, I got to thinking that maybe Carmine, Italia, Vincent, and I plus our friends misjudged Nick. Maybe he isn't bad like we thought and if everything works out between your brother and my niece, it could be love at first sight. I mean none of us can deny that Nick and Stefania are very happy when they're together." Paulie admitted.

"Nope. None of us can deny that, because Nick always gets a smile on his face when he talks about Stefania. My family and I suspected he and Stefania are starting their slow growing relationship and wanted to surprise both sides. Unfortunately, that wasn't meant to happen, because of what happened to Stefania and the whispers plus gossip that could've ensued if those two kept mum about it and were seen together by others." Jarrod leaned against the wall.

"That's why Stefania acted so suspicious each time?" Paulie's eyes got big.

"Yes, sir. Why? You didn't know?" Jarrod raised an eyebrow.

"No. She never tells anybody anything especially since Carmine put a tight leash on her ever since Pasquale and her vow to never pursue romance again until she met your brother." Paulie sighed.

"Nick was kind of the same way. He had his heart broken many times by women who weren't right for him and after his last break up, he vowed no more romance either. That has changed obviously." Jarrod nodded, "However, we can go on about romance until we're blue in the face."

"That's true, because you did say you had a plan and I'm itching to know what it is." Paulie told him.

"Well, follow me into the study and we will discuss things." Jarrod said in his usual charming manner before leading Paulie into the study.

*Meanwhile, upstairs with Nick and Stefania*

Stefania was massaging Nick's shoulders, but not in her usual tender way. Today, she didn't seem into it at all. In fact, even though she was trying to hide it, there was something on her mind. Nick was starting to get a feeling that there was something bothering her and after debating whether or not to ask her, he decided to go ahead and ask in order to get it over with.

"Stefania, may I ask you something?" Nick spoke up.

"Sure thing." Stefania replied, "I'm not hurting you, am I?"

"Oh no, not at all, but you're not massaging in the usual gentle way you have been for a while. You seem as though as your heart isn't in it. Is there anything bothering you?" Nick told her.

"No. There's nothing bothering me." Stefania was clearly lying.

"Stefania, you don't need to hide anything from me. You know that." Nick replied.

"Who says I'm hiding anything?" Stefania asked.

"Stefania." Nick said.

"Oh, who am I kidding?" Stefania sighed, stopped massaging Nick's shoulders, and walked over to his door.

"Stefania, what's the matter? What's on your mind? Whatever it is, I can take it and you can tell me." Nick insisted.

"Oh, I don't know if I should say it." Stefania turned away from him.

"Stefania, you can tell me anything. You got to believe that." Nick slowly stood up from his bed and limped over to her.

Stefania didn't say anything and just let out a sigh.

"Hey..." Nick gently turned her to face his direction and lifted her chin so that way they had eye to eye contact, "Talk to me. What's the problem? What's bothering you?"

"Oh, Nick." Stefania turned away from him, "Nick...I've been thinking about it a lot and-"

"Thinking about what?" Nick asked.

"Ohhhh, a lot of things. I have nightmares about what happened to me and everything after that. I can still see the faces of McMahon, Williamson, McIntyre, Hyatt, and Dodie Gunderson whenever I close my eyes. Those scary faces! Then, I think about what Zeb and Dodie did to me and how I could...I could...I could be carrying a child months from now." Stefania started.

"Well, all things considered, I can see how that would be troubling you, but you didn't need to feel you had to hide that from me, Stefania." Nick put his hand on her shoulder, "I mean after all, we are in a slowly growing relationship and in a relationship, both parties tell each other what is going on with them and basically, pour woes and sorrows out, especially stuff you can never tell a family member, because they just won't understand."

"I know that, Nick but I just can't shake the feeling of shame and fear." Stefania added.

"Shame and fear?" Nick raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Nick. Shame and fear." Stefania nodded while biting her lip.

"But why?" Nick asked.

"Shame, because if I end up carrying a child, I'll be the first in my family to carry a b*ard and my papa will not have a grandchild of his be a b*ard. I will have disgraced my family if I turn up expectant and unmarried. Plus, what will I do with the baby? What will I do with them?" Stefania continued.

"Stefania, there is nothing to be ashamed of, because you had no control over what happened to you. It was through no fault of your own. If anybody should be ashamed, it is McMahon and his gang of lowlives who I still plan on hunting down." Nick walked over to the window and stared out of it.

"I know, Nick but...I just feel so filthy and plus, what happened to you afterward...I just can't forgive myself." Stefania shook her head.

"Stefania, what happened to me afterward is not your fault at all. In fact, it's nobody's fault." Nick smiled.

"It's nobody's fault? Nick, my papa, my zio Paulie, my tramp of a cousin Italia, and their friends gave you a bad beating and roughed your little brother up among other things. They did that to you and your brother and you're not mad?" Stefania clearly didn't understand Nick's reaction.

"I know they did all of that, Stefania and while I admit that it was a bit too far, I understand where they were coming from. After all, those friends of your father's and uncle's have high respect for you and vow to protect you. Your uncle Paulie...he's your uncle and he adores you very much. As for your father...well, he's your father and you're his little girl. That all goes without saying and I respect all of that. Now, your cousin Italia, I still can't wrap my head around her. She acted aggressively towards me then she got all flirtatious. I don't get it." Nick still stared out of the window.

"I appreciate your respect for all of it and what you said was true, but still, they are wrong for what they did to you. Two wrongs don't make a right." Stefania pointed out.

"You got me on that one there, Stefania. However, I'm not holding a grudge against them." Nick turned to her, "Now, you said you also felt fear besides shame. Why?"

"I'm afraid that if or when I start showing, my family will no longer love me and you won't want anything to do with me anymore! You'll want to be with another girl!" Stefania tried to hold back any tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks.

"Stefania...I'm very surprised at you." Nick was a little taken aback.

*Meanwhile, in the study with Jarrod and Paulie*

After shooting the breeze some more and expressing how amazed he was at the beauty of the study let alone what he saw so far of the Barkley household, Paulie finally decided to get down to business in regards to Jarrod's plan. Unfortunately, it meant he would have to relive the murder of his father Emilio and the lynching of his brother Santo all over again. Despite wanting to avoid it all, he knew it was best to get out what really happened versus what was or could be said by the perpetrators and their friends.

"Jarrod, let's get to talking about your plan." Paulie ran a hand through his hair.

"Paulie, by the sound of your voice and the tone, even though you are itching it know what the plan is, I can tell part of your heart isn't in it." Jarrod told him.

"Well, to be honest, you are correct. I mean yes, I am eager to see what your plan is and how we can move forward with whatever it is, I also know that I am going to have to relive the murder of my papa and brother Santo. I really don't want to relive their murders plus too, it doesn't feel right pursuing it without Carmine, because he was the first one to see it both times and to add to it, their murders were so traumatic." Paulie sighed, "Each time I close my eyes, I have nightmares. Nightmares about my papa and my brother Santo. Just horrible nightmares."

"I understand, Paulie. If it'll ease things, you can feel free to tell me what you saw and remember." Jarrod suggested.

Paulie sat there and didn't say a word.

"It's okay, Paulie. Take your time. The plan can wait." Jarrod assured.

Paulie nodded and sighed, again before putting his head in his hands. It was obvious that the painful memories were starting to play out in his head and by the looks of it, the pain was still very fresh now as it was when the murders of Emilio and Santo took place.

"Paulie, as I said, the plan can wait." Jarrod stood up from the desk, walked over to Paulie, and put his hand on his shoulder, "Take as much time as you need to collect your thoughts and whenever you're ready, I'm all ears."

Paulie, voice now starting to break, said something, but it was muffled.

"What was that?" Jarrod asked, sympathy filling his eyes.

"Carmine, papa, and I...saw that Serafina was...in trouble! We saw them...attacking her and papa...wanted to...save her...despite his old age. Carmine and I told him no...but he still went to try...and fight them off." Paulie said, head still in hands.

"Them? Who are "Them", Paulie? Ballinger, his daughter Jessica, and their bunch?" Jarrod asked.

"Not Jessica Ballinger or Hiram, her papa, that time, but Matthew Sturgis, Jack Clevenger, and Stan Reardon were the ones who started it. Especially, Sturgis." Paulie started.

*Flashback to that time*

It was a beautiful day in Stockton. Upon getting settled, Serafina Mangano decided to help her family out by going and getting some supplies. She was in the middle of picking some stuff out when a hand grabbed her shoulder.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Serafina was startled.

"Whoa. Sorry 'bout that, honey. Didn't mean to startle ya there." the man chuckled.

"Va bene, signore. Mi sono sempre spaventato per piccole cose. (It is quite alright, mister. I always get scared over little things.)" Serafina told him.

"Whoa! Whoa! What kind of language is that?! We speak english here." the man sounded a little angry.

"Mi dispiace. Parlo solo un po 'di inglese. Non è troppo buono. Parlo principalmente italiano. Io e la mia famiglia siamo dall'Italia. (I'm sorry. I only speak a little English. It is not too good. I primarily speak Italian. My family and I are from Italy.)" Serafina replied.

"I said we speak english!" the man slapped the supplies out of her arms.

"Signor, I just arrived from Italy with my family. We are learning your language little by little. Now, please help me pick up my supplies, so I can be on my way." Serafina reverted to the little English she could speak.

"Oh, not so fast." the man grabbed her arm.

"Signor, you are hurting me." Serafina said.

"Look, I just want to get to know you, because even though you're one of them foreigners, you are mighty pretty, honey!" the man pulled her close.

"Please, signore, please. I just want to get back to my family. Please, turn my arm loose." Serafina pleaded.

"Oh no, honey! I'm taking you all for myself!" the man held onto her very tightly and started forcefully kissing her neck.

"No! No! No! No! Please!" Serafina pleaded some more while trying to break free from his grip.

"Oh, come on! Let's have a good time!" the man started to get aggressive with her.

"MATTHEW!" another man shouted before walking over.

"Ah gee, Jack! Do you have to spoil it every time I am with a girl?" Matthew sounded annoyed.

"Yes, because whenever you're around a girl, you always get into a mess!" Jack slightly raised his voice before turning to Serafina and getting a creepy smile on his face, "And what's your name, honey? You sure are pretty."

"Serafina Annabella Mangano. Signor, could you pl-" Serafina was cut off.

"You sound foreign!" Jack's smile disappeared as fast as it came on.

"I'm from...It-It-Italy." Serafina sounded nervous.

"Oh, you're one of them, aren't you?!" Jack shook his head, "One of those no goods that comes into our country and steals from us Americans, eh?"

"I-" Serafina was cut off, again.

"Answer me!" Jack slapped her.

"Whoa! Easy, Clevenger. You don't want to mark her up, yet." Matthew told him.

"Shut up! She's one of those no goods!" Jack barked.

"But she is still pretty! She may be one of those no goods, but she is one pretty gal." Matthew protested a bit.

"I do admit for a no good, she is pretty." Jack nodded.

"Please, please, let me go!" Serafina begged.

"Oh no, we're gonna have fun first!" Jack pushed Matthew away, grabbed Serafina, ripped her shawl off, and started forcefully kissing her.

Serafina started fighting against Jack every way she could and shouting in Italian.

*From somewhere nearby*

Serafina was shouting loud enough to get the attention of her uncles Carmine and Paulie & her grandfather Emilio, who was watering his Mule, Giorgia, from a trough. Concerned, Emilio guided Giorgia away from the trough and started to get mounted only to be stopped.

"Papà, resta qui. Paulie e io andremo da Serafina. (Dad, stay here. Paulie and I will go to Serafina.)" Carmine told him.

"Perché? Pensi che io sia troppo vecchio, ragazzo mio? (Why? You think I'm too old, my boy?)" Emilio asked, tilting his head to the side for a moment.

"Papà, hai fatto un sacco di cose tutto il giorno. Hai bisogno di riposare. Sai che mamma avrebbe detto lo stesso. (Dad, you've been doing a lot all day long. You need to rest. You know ma would've said the same.)" Paulie insisted.

"Tua madre, che Dio l'abbia in gloria, era una tale ansiosa come voi due ragazzi. Guarda, non mi farà male andare a vedere cosa sta succedendo a Serafina. (Your ma, God rest her soul, was such a worrywart just like you two boys are. Look, it won't hurt me to go over and see what is happening with Serafina.)" Emilio waved his finger at Carmine and Paulie.

"Ma papà-(But dad-)" Carmine was cut off.

Emilio got mounted onto Giorgia and rode over to where the commotion was happening. As soon as he approached the area, Emilio got an alarmed look when he saw his granddaughter getting manhandled.

"EHI! (Hey!)" Emilio shouted.

Jack ignored him and kept on forcefully kissing Serafina before taking her to the ground with him. Serafina kept on slapping, punching, and scratching him in the hopes that he would quit, but to no avail.

"Toglietevi di mezzo mia nipote! (Get off of my granddaughter!)" Emilio shouted, again before starting to get off of Giorgia only to be stopped.

"Where do you think you're going, old man?!" a third man walked up to him.

"Quell'uomo sta facendo del male a mia nipote! (That man is harming my granddaughter!)" Emilio told him.

"Hey, if you're going to talk to me, you're going to speak English like the rest of us in this country!" the man backhanded him in the face.

"Signore, mi lasci parlare con mia nipote. (Mister, let me get to my granddaughter.)" Emilio tried to get off of Giorgia only to be stopped again, this time by Stan, who was holding him back by force.

"Hey, Stan, be careful with that old man." Matthew told him.

"Oh, hold your water, Sturgis. I won't hurt him if he won't get all ornery." Stan dismissed him with a hand gesture, "I don't recall you ever caring about an old geezer beforehand."

"Oh, I have no use for them, but we're not going to take care of people unless the moment calls for it." Matthew replied.

"Doesn't the moment call for it since this old coot and that girl Clevenger is pleasuring himself with are no good foreigners?!" Stan asked.

"It sure does, but I'm waiting for Clevenger to get finished with her, so I can have my turn." Matthew smirked.

"Basta! Basta! Per favore! (Stop! Stop! Please!)" Serafina begged.

"Serafina, cara bambina, sto arrivando! (Serafina, dear child, I'm coming!)" Emilio tapped Giorgia with the reins.

"Oh no, you don't!" Stan violently tugged on the reins, ripping them from Emilio's hands.

Emilio grabbed part of the reins and tried to get them out of Stan's hands, engaging in what looked to be a tug of war.

*From where Carmine and Paulie were*

Carmine and Paulie were walking away from a dress shop when they saw Stan and their father engaging in a tug of war over the reins and stopped in their tracks.

"Paulie, papà è nei guai! (Paulie, dad's in trouble!)" Carmine went to go help Emilio only to be stopped.

"Carmine, hai sentito papà. Ci ha detto di restare qui. (Carmine, you heard dad. He told us to stay here.)" Paulie grabbed his brother's arm, "Sai quanto è indipendente e quanto si arrabbierebbe se andassimo ad aiutarlo. E poi, che mi dici di quel vestito che volevi prendere per Andrea? Il suo compleanno è domani. (You know how independent he is and how mad he would be if we went over to help him. Plus, what about that dress you wanted to get for Andrea? Her birthday is tomorrow.)"

"Paulie, al diavolo il compleanno di mia moglie! Lei capirebbe. E poi, da quando ascoltiamo papà?! È nei guai e dobbiamo aiutarlo! (Paulie, the hell with my wife's birthday! She'd understand. Plus too, since when do we ever listen to dad?! He's in trouble and we gotta help him!)" Carmine ripped his arm out of Paulie's grip.

"Carmine, ho preso questa brutta abitudine da te! Eri sempre-(Carmine, I caught that bad habit from you! You were always-)" Paulie was cut off.

"Paulie, quell'uomo ha appena strappato via papà da Giorgia! (Paulie, that man just pulled dad off of Giorgia!)" Carmine's eyes got big after seeing Stan violently yank Emilio off of his mule.

"Carmine...MADRE DI MISERICORDIA! (MOTHER OF MERCY!)" Paulie shouted after turning his attention to the situation and saw Stan push Emilio to the ground, knocking the older man unconscious in the process.

"Stiamo arrivando, papà, Serafina! Tieni duro! (We are coming, dad, Serafina! Hang on!)" Carmine and Paulie ran as fast as they could in order to get to their father and niece in time.

*Back where Serafina and the horrible men were*

"REARDON!" Matthew shouted.

"NONNO! (GRANDFATHER!)" Serafina shouted.

"Reardon, what did you do that for?" Jack turned to Stan.

"He pulled a knife on me and he's one of those no goods like that girl." Stan was obviously lying through his teeth.

Serafina tried once more to fight her way out of Jack's arms in order to go to her grandfather, but was stopped when Jack put his weight onto her.

"You're not going anywhere!" Jack pinned her down.

Serafina shouted a few things in Italian and scratched his right cheek.

"Man, she sure is a feisty one!" Matthew laughed, before getting serious or impatient, "When is it going to be my turn with her, Clevenger?!"

"You'll get your turn eventually, Sturgis. Just give me five more minutes." Jack said, before tearing the left sleeve of Serafina's dress off, exposing her shoulder and camisole.

Before Serafina could let out another scream, Carmine and Paulie came rushing to the scene. This caught the attention of Jack almost immediately.

"Oh no! Two more no goods are showing up!" Jack groaned before turning to Matthew and Stan, "Sturgis, Reardon, hold them off!"

"PAPÀ! SERAFINA! (DAD! SERAFINA!)" Carmine and Paulie shouted as they arrived to the scene.

"Whoa! Whoa! Stand back, you no goods!" Matthew, with the help of Stan, blocked the two Mangano men from helping Emilio and Serafina.

"You pushed our papa down and your friend is harming our niece!" Carmine cracked his knuckles before lunging at Matthew only to be knocked out by Stan from behind.

Paulie jumped onto Stan's back and pretty soon, the two men were rolling on the ground, throwing punches. As people gathered around and watched, the fight between the two men was starting to get bloody and about to escalate only to came to an abrupt end when another man pulled Stan off of Paulie.

"That's enough, Reardon! His kind isn't worthy of a fight!" the fourth man said.

"Ah, but, McIntosh, we-" Stan was cut off.

"You, Sturgis, and Clevenger are creating a scene for the rest of these people and you know the boss doesn't like it when crows are created!" McIntosh slapped him on the back of the head before going over to Jack and pulling him away from Serafina, "Alright, the party's over, Clevenger! Come on you guys, let's go!"

"Robert Theo McIntosh, remind me again why we're friends!" Jack reluctantly stood up.

"Let's go!" Robert walked off, Matthew, Stan, and Jack reluctantly following suit while gladly stealing Giorgia.

"Zio Paulie, zio Carmine. (Uncle Paulie, Uncle Carmine.)" Serafina slowly stood up, walked over to where her uncles and grandfather were, and sat beside the unconscious Emilio.

"Oh, la mia testa. Paulie, Serafina...sta bene? (Ooh, my head. Paulie, Serafina...is she okay?)" Carmine slowly regained consciousness, sat up, and got beside his unconscious father.

"Sto bene, zio Carm. Nonno, non lo so. Ha ancora gli occhi chiusi. (I'm alright, uncle Carm. Grandfather, I do not know. He still has his eyes shut.)" Serafina replied.

"Papà, svegliati! Papà...per favore svegliati! Forza, papà! (Dad, wake up! Dad...please wake up! Come on, dad!)" Paulie pleaded while trying to get Emilio to wake up.

"Papà, non farlo! Papà...non farlo, per favore! (Dad, don't do this! Dad...don't do this, please!)" Carmine begged.

"Nonno, per favore! (Grandfather, please!)" Serafina begged.

"Serafina, vai a chiamare un dottore. Presto! (Serafina, go get a doctor. Hurry!)" Carmine told her.

"Sì, mio zio. (Yes, my uncle.)" Serafina ran as fast as she could to find a doctor.

"Dai, vecchio idiota. Dai, vecchio testardo! Sei troppo duro per questo! (Come on, you old fool. Come on, you stubborn old man! You're too tough for this!)" Carmine tried to shake Emilio awake.

"Carmine..." Paulie had a knowing look in his eye.

"No, Paulie! Non osare insinuare nulla! Papà è molto duro! Ce la farà! (No, Paulie! Don't you dare insinuate anything! Dad is very tough! He'll pull through!)" Carmine barked.

"Carmine, non c'è-(Carmine, there's no-)" Paulie was cut off.

"Paulie, non farlo! (Paulie, don't!)" Carmine slapped his brother on the arm.

"Carmine, loro...loro...(Carmine, they...they...)" Paulie paused in order to wipe away tears that were already spilling down his face.

To Be Continued...

Merry Early Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy early 2025, everybody! :D